09042017 sports

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SPORTS SECTION E

US OPEN, Page 5

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

Miller-Uibo’s $100,000 Diamond League payday

BAHAMIAN PLAYERS IN NCAA FOOTBALL ACTION

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

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espite what happened to her at the 16th IAAF World Championships in London, England, last month, Shaunae Miller-Uibo said she was able to live out her purpose by winning the back-to-back IAAF Diamond League Finals in the 200 and 400 metres over the last two weekends. “It feels great. To God be the glory, great things he has done,” Miller-Uibo told The Tribune over the weekend following her latest achievement in Brussels. “I understand that it is a first for the Bahamas and I am truly happy to be a part of this history.” Miller-Uibo, 23, was referring to the fact that she emerged as the first Bahamian to cash in on two yearending finals, surpassing Tonique Williams, whom she joined (as the first to win a Golden League title as it was back then in 2004) when she captured the first title in a national record breaking performance in the women’s 200 metres at the Zurich Weltklasse two weeks ago. On Friday, the six-foot-1 Miller-Uibo closed out her account for the year as she added the 400 metres crown with a world leading time of 49.46 at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels, pushing her hefty payday to $100,000 - $50,000 each for the victories. Despite the cold and wet conditions following torrential rains in Brussels, Miller-Uibo pulled away from the youthful Salwa Eid Naser, who also broke the 50-second barrier as she set a Bahrain record of 49.88 for second. “The competition as always was very fierce and the joy of the challenge keeps it interesting,” said Miller-Uibo about facing three of the seven other finalists from London, including Naser, the silver medallist. “The weather was a little chilly and wet, but the response from my coach was that we executed the race model.” That was the model she had expected in London, England, when she surged to the front only to miscalculate her step after taking a peep at the big screen and faltered to fourth in the 400m before she bounced

back to take the bronze in the 200m. In the process, she earned $35,000, inclusive of $20,000 for the halflap race and $15,000 for the one-lapper. From what transpired, Miller-Uibo called it a valuable age-old lesson learnt. “From since I was a child, I learned and understood that God’s timing will always be perfect,” she said. “And God blessed me with two Diamond League wins, a national record and a world-leading time to end the season. So I count my blessings and thank him for them.” And putting her two showings in perspective after the Worlds, MillerUibo admitted that they were “equally satisfying because in the 200m, I got a national record and in a world-leading time in the 400m.” With her season over and done with, Miller-Uibo is preparing to return home before next Friday for another Shaunae Miller-Uibo Day at her alma mater at St Augustine’s College. But she expressed her disappointment in hearing that there won’t be any official celebrations for her nor Steven Gardiner, the World Championship men’s 400m silver medallist. “I am very disappointed that there is no celebrations, mainly for Stevie Gasdiner,” she said. “I feel extremely bad seeing that this is his first international medal and that being a silver, makes him the second best in the world. “Instead of him being celebrated, from what I am understanding, he is being persecuted by his own federation. This is very disturbing. The silver lining to this story is that the rest of the world is celebrating Mr Gardiner’s success.” Claude Bryan, the chief executive officer of On Track Management, Inc, the Atlanta, Georgiabased promotional track group that manages both Miller-Uibo and Gardiner, said they will not comment on the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ decision to hold a tribunal to ascertain why he didn’t run the heats of the men’s 4 x 400m relay in London on the request of head coach Dianne Woodside-Johnson. He would only state that: “I am sure Moore’s Island and the rest of the Bahamas are appreciative of his

GOIN’ HARD: Shaunae Miller-Uibo, of the Bahamas, wins the 200m at the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League international athletics meeting in the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland, on August 24. (Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP) efforts and if history is our we witnessed this year is The race came after guide, the Bahamas has just the continuation of Gardiner picked up a silver not been shy in giving due what should ultimately medal in London, two days to its athletes when they fly unfold as a stellar career,” following his historic run the black, aquamarine and said Bryan, the chief ex- in the semi-final where he yellow.” ecutive officer of On Track became the first Bahamian Looking back at what Management. to crack the 44-second barthe two Bahamian quarterAs for Gardiner, he rier, lowering his national milers did this year, Bryan completed his year by record to 43.89. said it’s just the tip of the slipping out of the blocks “Stevie is a gem and iceberg for Miller-Uibo in the men’s 400m in the from coach (Anthony) Wiland Gardiner. Diamond League Final at liams to coach (George) “Shaunae is on an up- the Zurich Weltklasse last SEE PAGE 4 ward trajectory and what week.

THE NCAA football season kicked off at universities across the United States and several Bahamian players were in action in week one. Linesmen Rondre Knowles-Tener (James Madison Dukes) and Chris Ferguson (Cincinnati Bearcats) saw their teams debut with wins while Mavin Saunders (Florida State Seminoles) and Mike Strachan (Charleston Golden Eagles) opened the season with losses. Coming out of high school Knowles-Tener originally committed to the East Carolina Pirates but eventually chose to join the programme at James Madison. When the two teams met Saturday, the Dukes solidified their status as one of the most feared teams in the FCS with a win over another FBS team, a 34-14 win over the Pirates. The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the top level of collegiate football. The FBS is the most competitive subdivision of NCAA Division I, which itself consists of the largest and most competitive schools in the NCAA. The Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) was formerly known as Division I-AA. The Dukes racked up over 600 yards of offence on the Pirates, including 422 on the ground, second most in school history. The defending FCS champions, JMU continued the longest winning streak in all of Division I football with their 13th consecutive win. They continued a legacy of wins over FBS teams after a 48-45 win at SMU in 2015 and back in 2010, James Madison also defeated 13th ranked Virginia Tech 21-16. JMU increased the longest winning streak in all of Division I football to 13 games while improving to 2-0 all-time against American Conference teams (4845 at SMU in 2015). The Dukes also snapped a 25game winning streak for ECU against FCS opponents. Knowles-Tener sat out his true freshman season last year as a redshirt but is expected to be an important

SEE PAGE 4

JONES BECOMES WNBA ALL-TIME SINGLE SEASON REBOUNDS RECORD HOLDER By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net THE team that traded away Jonquel Jones on draft night had a firsthand opportunity to witness the Bahamian forward set WNBA history. Jones became the league’s all time single season rebounds record holder yesterday in the regular season finale against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. She tracked down a missed jumper from Nneka Ogwumike at the 8:35 mark in the third quarter to corral the record setting board and surpass the previous total of 398. Jones finished with 10 rebounds to bring the record setting total to 403 for the season. She also added 10 points for her 20th double double of the season.

The Sparks went on to win 8170 to close out the regular season with a record of 26-8, and the league’s top mark of 16-1 at home. Jones’ historic season included several milestones, including becoming just the second player in league history to record three 20-rebound games in a single season. In the season opener on May 13, she finished with eight points and 20 rebounds against the Atlanta Dream and had a 23-point, 21-rebound performance against the Chicago Sky on May 28. She finished with 14 points, a career high 22 rebounds and career high six assists in an 86-76 win over the Washington Mystics just last week. The New York Liberty’s Tina Charles was the previous record holder with 398 rebounds and was the only other player to record three 20-rebound games in a single season. Charles set the re-

JONQUEL JONES

cord in 2010 as a rookie with the Sun. In that season, she averaged 15.5 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Jones finished the year averaging 15.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. She finished with rebounding percentage of 24 per cent which was another record setter as it surpassed Cheryl Ford’s rate of 23 per cent set back in 2006. Jones also became the seventh player to average 11 rebounds in a season. She is also just the seventh player in league history to average atleast 15 points and 11 rebounds in a season. Jones was selected by the Sparks with the sixth overall pick of the 2016 WNBA Draft, but was sent to the Sun in a draft night trade in exchange for Chelsea Gray and a future first round pick. She averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds as a rookie last season. She received one vote in the 2016

WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year tally to finish in a 5-way tie for fifth behind winner Jantel Lavender. The Sun finished last season 14-20, 5th in Eastern Conference, just missing the postseason after a dramatic midseason turnaround. This season, the Sun improved to 21-13 and clinched a top four seed in the playoff standings. It also solidified that they will host a second-round single elimination contest on September 10 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The winner will advance to the best-of-five WNBA semi-finals. “I had confidence coming into this year that we had a lot of young talent,” Sun general manager/coach Curt Miller said after his team wrapped up a playoff berth. “Knowing there were still some unknown pieces, it may have come a year earlier than I thought.”


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